Search Results data_column

Overview

CSF_SKILL_TYPES_B is the foundational definition table for skill types within the Oracle E-Business Suite Field Service (CSF) module. In Release 12.1.1 and 12.2.2, this table stores the master list of skill categories that an enterprise uses to qualify service personnel, technicians, and field resources against service requests, tasks, and dispatch assignments. Every skill record in the system is anchored to a skill type defined here, making CSF_SKILL_TYPES_B a reference-data object that governs downstream skill qualification, resource scheduling, and proficiency rating.

The table resides in the CSF schema and is registered as VALID in the ETRM data dictionary. It contains 35 documented columns. Based on the foreign key topology — the table is referenced by three separate dependent tables while itself referencing only reference and security tables — the heuristic Data Vault classification is hub-leaning. In a Data Vault model this object would most naturally serve as a hub, with its SKILL_TYPE_ID as the business key and its descriptive and audit columns distributed to an associated satellite. This is a modeling suggestion derived from FK structure, not a prescriptive requirement.

Key Information Stored

The surrogate primary key is SKILL_TYPE_ID, enforced by the constraint CSF_SKILL_TYPES_B_PK. This identifier is the value propagated into every dependent skill table. A unique index, CSF_SKILL_TYPES_B_U1, covers (SKILL_TYPE_ID, ZD_EDITION_NAME), which in 12.2.2 serves as the business-key candidate supporting edition-based redefinition and multi-tenant style versioning. The most consequential columns are:

• SKILL_TYPE_ID — the primary key and the join anchor for all related skill objects.
• ZD_EDITION_NAME — edition identifier supporting 12.2.2 online patching and editioned data.
• RATING_SCALE_ID — foreign key to CSF_RATING_SCALES_B, defining the rating scale used to express proficiency for this skill type.
• SECURITY_GROUP_ID — foreign key to FND_SECURITY_GROUPS, governing row-level security and data access.
• START_DATE_ACTIVE and END_DATE_ACTIVE — validity window controlling when the skill type may be assigned.
• SEEDED_FLAG — indicates whether the row is Oracle-seeded reference data or customer-defined.
• KEY_COLUMN, DATA_COLUMN, NAME_NUMBER_COLUMN, FROM_CLAUSE, WHERE_CLAUSE, ORDER_BY_CLAUSE — the flexible definition block, storing the key/value extraction logic used to populate and drive the skill type's picklist or lookup behavior.
• OBJECT_VERSION_NUMBER — optimistic locking column used by the OAF/BC4J framework.
• CREATED_BY, CREATION_DATE, LAST_UPDATED_BY, LAST_UPDATE_DATE, LAST_UPDATE_LOGIN — standard WHO audit columns.
• ATTRIBUTE_CATEGORY and ATTRIBUTE1–ATTRIBUTE15 — the DFF/descriptive flexfield segments for customer extensions.

Common Use Cases and Queries

The table is used to validate and resolve skill types referenced in resource qualification, required-skill definitions on service requests, and skill-to-resource mappings. Standard queries filter on the active date window and security group:

• Listing active skill types: SELECT skill_type_id, name_number_column, rating_scale_id FROM csf_skill_types_b WHERE SYSDATE BETWEEN start_date_active AND NVL(end_date_active, SYSDATE) AND security_group_id = :p_security_group;
• Joining to a resource's rated skills: SELECT st.skill_type_id, rs.rating_scale_id FROM csf_skill_types_b st, csf_resource_skills_b rs WHERE st.skill_type_id = rs.skill_type_id;
• Finding required skills on service requests: SELECT st.skill_type_id, rq.skill_type_id FROM csf_skill_types_b st, csf_required_skills_b rq WHERE st.skill_type_id = rq.skill_type_id;
• Reporting mastery coverage, seeded versus custom skill types, and editioned rows via ZD_EDITION_NAME for 12.2.2 diagnostics.

Reports typically combine this table with CSF_RATING_SCALES_B to display human-readable scale values and with FND_SECURITY_GROUPS to enforce organizational visibility.

Related Objects

The following objects are the most significant dependents and references, based on documented foreign key and primary key relationships:

• CSF_RATING_SCALES_B — referenced via CSF_SKILL_TYPES_B.RATING_SCALE_ID; supplies the rating scale definition.
• FND_SECURITY_GROUPS — referenced via SECURITY_GROUP_ID; enforces row-level access.
• CSF_SKILLS_B — references SKILL_TYPE_ID; holds skill instances of each type.
• CSF_RESOURCE_SKILLS_B — references SKILL_TYPE_ID; maps resources to rated skills.
• CSF_REQUIRED_SKILLS_B — references SKILL_TYPE_ID; defines skills required for service activity.
• CSF_SKILL_TYPES_TL — the translation table typically paired with this base table for language-specific names.